Ep. Library

As I walked deeper into the labyrinth of shelves, I couldn't help but wonder about Eight, back at the portal. Was she settling into her subsector now too? Did she have the same stark accommodations, the same sense of purpose and isolation?

I pushed the thought aside. Focus was essential here. Distraction could mean getting lost—physically in the maze-like shelves, or mentally in memories of a life that now seemed increasingly distant.

The first shelf I approached stood high above me. I extended my hand, allowing my fingers to brush against the spines of the books. They were unnaturally warm to the touch, like living organisms.

I selected one at random—a medium-sized volume bound in what appeared to be white leather. Its title was etched in silver script that shimmered slightly as I tilted the book. Opening it revealed pages filled with a story in a peculiar language.

This was just one book, on one shelf, in one small corner of my subsector with my subsector being just one of countless within the library.

The enormity of it all made me dizzy for a moment. I carefully returned the book to its exact position and continued walking, more determined than ever to learn the patterns and systems of this place. It would take time—perhaps centuries—but time was the one thing I had in abundance.

The pathways between shelves formed a complex grid that would have been disorienting without my holowatch. Each time I turned a corner, the view was essentially the same—white shelves, books, and the soft ambient light that came from both no particular direction.

I walked for hours, occasionally stopping to examine a book here and there, but mostly just taking in the sight that was the library. Some shelves contained volumes so massive they seemed impossible to move, while others held books no larger than my thumb.

On one shelf, I found a book that hummed softly when touched. On another, a thin volume that seemed to change its thickness depending on the angle from which I viewed it. Each discovery brought both wonder and questions.

After a while, though, my stomach reminded me that even librarians needed sustenance. According to my holowatch, I had been walking for hours, and it was finally the designated dinner hour.

Once back at my quarters, I went straight for the box with rations in it and pulled one out, excited to finally see what this seemingly brick-shaped food was. The packaging was simple, a thin film that peeled away easily.

Inside I found a small rectangular hard piece of orange-colored food. I picked it up by its hard grainy surface and gave it a smell. It had a sweet, citrusy scent, reminiscent of a fresh orange. As I reeled back, intrigued by the fragrance, I took a bite, letting the flavor bleed into my mouth.

I never thought I'd say this but... I missed the stew. The brick's texture was off, crumbling to dust with every bite. It left a film along the sides of my mouth and didn't taste good when comparing it to what we ate at the farm. But no matter—nutrition is nutrition. It's not meant to taste good, just meant to keep the body functioning.

With that philosophy firmly in mind, I finished my sweet-tasting brick, washing it down with water from the small basin in my quarters.

Despite the disappointing meal, I felt a renewed energy. I decided to patrol a little longer before retiring for the night.

By the time I finished my circuit and returned to my quarters, the endless day had grown long, and my body ached with weariness.

I made my way to the bed and took off my uniform, carefully folding the black garment and placing it on the small shelf provided for personal effects. The thin white sheets of the bed were surprisingly soft against my skin as I slid between them.

I lay there looking up for a while, struck by the absence of a ceiling. For the first time in my life, there was no black ceiling and bright lights attached to them looming over me—no boundaries, no containment. Instead, just the vast expanse of nothingness... of the library.

Here, there was only silence and space.

I reached for the sleep mask provided in my equipment kit and slid it over my eyes, blocking out the endless void above. Even immortal librarians needed the comfort of darkness sometimes.

As I lay in the darkness, my mind drifted back to Eight. Was she looking up at the same void tonight? Did she find it as unsettling as I did? Or had she already adapted, already accepted this new reality as I was struggling to do? 

And then I thought about Leaner. Where did Leaner get stationed? How was he adjusting?

Before I could pursue these thoughts further, exhaustion claimed me. I let myself drift to sleep, sinking into dreams filled with endless white corridors.

Tomorrow would bring another day of exploration, another step toward understanding my place in this eternal repository of knowledge. For now, though, my first day as Subsector Librarian 43,090,874-9 had come to an end.